Sunday 26 October 2008

Review - Giant Jr - Wherever You Are In The World Here Are Directions Home

Giant Jr - Wherever You Are In The World Here Are Directions Home

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4 out of 10

With their pumping up of Eartha Kitt (if you'll forgive the expression) on the single I Want To Be Evil earlier this year, hopes were high that Giant Jr's debut album would live up to the stylish packaging and hype. I'm sorry to say that it doesn't. The aforementioned Kitt-up is very much the strongest and most interesting track here. As for the rest, well, they're all looking for some primary-coloured, cinema comedy to latch onto, or a girls' night out to soundtrack.

No bad thing if that's what you're after, of course. That Thing in particular sounds ideal for a scene in which Austin Powers farts around a villain's lair, chatting up Elizabeth Hurley. Otherwise, it's 'v. tedious', as Bridget Jones might say. Rock Yo Space and Viva Rock Vegas may go for the ironic-humour vein but end up sounding like a couple of lost Shampoo B-sides. If I Was A Little Drunker has a touch more interesting darkness about it but Marc Almond has picked better tracks from between his toes. All Summer Long grates with its Beach Boy-itis and Pluto-Out's warmth is chopped up by Casiotone percussion. The nadir is What Would You Do With A Million, with its sampled valley-girl 'ums' and 'oks' - it seems we have bypassed kitsch and run straight into shitsch. If pink's your thing, though, then you go, girlfriend!

Listen: www.myspace.com/giantjr

Tracklist:
1. No. 1 Fan
2. What Kind of Girl Are You?
3. I Want To Be Evil (Giant Jr vs Eartha Kitt)
4. Director of First Impressions
5. Rock Yo Space
6. Issimo
7. Boots&Shoes
8. That Thing
9. Hairgrip
10. Viva Rock Vegas
11. What Would You Do With A Million
12. If I Was A little Drunker
13. All Summer Long
14. Pluto-Out

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